Lynndsey Rigberg's Profile
very dry dumplings - add back "vegetable" WATER?
Hi Chowhounds,
So I made the potstickers (aka Peking Raviolis) last weekend. They tasted so-so (great flavor...but soooo dry). I got ground pork from Ranch 99 and it look pretty marbled with fat so I'm pretty confused.
The recipe I followed was pretty typical of most I found online:
finely chopped cabbage. Salted. Drain the water. Mix pork, egg, seasonings, some sherry, etc.
I spoke to a friend of mine from Beijing...and she told me something surprising. She said to reserve the water drained from cabbage and to mix it back into the meat mix?
Thanks for any suggestions for how to make my future potstickers moist!
Peking Ravioli recipe?
Hi Chowhounds,
My friend from Boston wants me to teach him how to make Peking Raviolis - what is also know as Potstickers.
I definitely know how to make regular potstickers, but for those of you from the east coast, is there anything different/special about how its made there?
I was just going to use the typical cabbage & pork recipe...
Thanks for your thoughts!
advice on cooking rice in high altitude
Hi PaulJ, Yes I cook this rice back home in LA all the time (no modifications to recipe) and it comes out perfectly. I like it just a tad sticky...but last night's experiment was downright mushy. I will just have to try less water. Wish I had a pressure cooker here! Thanks everyone!
advice on cooking rice in high altitude
Happy Holidays Chowhounds!
I am vacationing at high altitude (8100 ft) and staying with some friends in their lovely home. They have requested that I cook them an authentic chinese dinner. No problem! Amazingly, I found most of the ingredients I need.
The only problem is that I knew cooking rice at high altitudes is problematic so I bought some short grain rice today and did a couple test batches.
I read all the suggestions online (water boils at lower temperature in higher elevation, use a little more water, etc).
I did two test batches:
1: I cooked the recipe as is (1 1/2 cup rice to 2 cups of water)
2: I followed the suggestions I found online. (same as above but added 2 tsp extra water)
Results: both batches were almost equally mushy!
Obviously, I will attempt this again tomorrow with less water but I will gladly take any suggestions you might have to offer.
one Final question:
The rice instructions said to bring the rice to boil and then cover for 20 minutes.
is this what made it so mushy?
Should I be letting the rice cook uncovered and then just cover/steam the last 10-15 minutes?
Thanks for your thoughts!
can I "can" roasted garlic in oil?
I suppose I could give it out as long as I tell people it's fresh and needs to be refrigereated and eaten within, what, 2 weeks?
can I "can" roasted garlic in oil?
whew! Thanks for telling me! So how do they do it commercially? (I mean, can foods that are not acidified?)
can I "can" roasted garlic in oil?
Hi Chowhounds,
I got a tremendous bounty of peeled garlic and thought about roasting garlic in oil in the oven and then once it cooled, I would put them in jars and then seal them. Hopefully, I can store them or share with friends.
I have very little experience with "canning". Would I use the same technique as I've read about in canning jams and other preserves?
Thanks for any suggestions!
need to find good italian near West LA or Culver City - pronto!
Chowhounds,
I have an unexpected friend from out of town who is craving good Italian food - and I just found this out minutes ago. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it should be tasty - homemade pasta is a plus! (Sorry, we find Ugo's to be mediocre).
More importantly, because of their time restrictions, we're trying to find something close to West LA or Culver City area - thanks for any suggestions!
is peacock meat legal in CA/USA?
I ordered peacock a couple months back but got peahen instead. Then I was at someone's house and they served peacock (and swore it was peacock) and it was "silky" tasting. They did a gorgeous sweet marinade and it was delicious. Does it taste like chicken - heck, most things seem to taste like chicken, but I would say the flavor was a little different. It had a silky, sort of milky taste.
its very much a novelty and I am planning to attempt an ancient recipe called a "Cockenthrice" that Heston Blumenthal made on his show - we'll see!
is peacock meat legal in CA/USA?
Chowhounds,
I recently ordered another peacock from Exoticmeats for a very special dinner party coming up (they need 14 days notice).
When I told my dinner guests that I was serving peacock, a couple of them freaked out. They said it was ILLEGAL???!!!
According to the Exoticmeats website, it says that it is legal...but dang it if I can't find anywhere else that can confirm the legality of peacock meat in CA...or the US!
Clearly, I've already purchased this peacock ($500!) so there's no way about that. I'm serving this bird.
However, I feel that if I can prove to my guest that the peacock is legal, they are sure to eat it.
Thank you! I would appreciate it if any of you have insight on this matter!
buttermilk marinade - how long is too long?
Thank you all so much for these suggestions! The chicken will be saved!
buttermilk marinade - how long is too long?
Chowhounds,
A friend of mine was coming to visit and I was marinading chicken in buttermilk to make "unfried" chicken (oven roasted).
But now her schedule has changed and she's not coming tomorrow, but Saturday. Will this chicken last?
I've tried to research the CH board and online, but can't seem to find a definitive answer:
is it possible to marinade chicken for TOO LONG? Is there any danger of the flesh breaking down too much?
Thanks for your help!
suggestions on how to make Kogi taco at home?
after reading all the links, I used the gotham gal recipe and did an early test - I wanted you to know my dinner guests said that I had outdone myself! HAH! So bravo to gotham gal and thanks to you for sending the recipes along!
suggestions on how to make Kogi taco at home?
I have a friend coming over for dinner next week and he is begging me to try to replicate a Kogi taco.
I've read about all over the place - but I've never personally tasted one myself. Can any of you home cooks who've actually tasted try to help me break it down?
For example, is the meat a kalbi? or a bulgogi?
Is anything done to the kimchi? (meaning, is it cooked, sauteed? straight out of the jar?)
Is there a raw cabbage slaw with it?
ANY and ALL suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
best hamburger/hot dog bun recipe?
Chowhounds, once again, I want to make something that seems simple...but all the recipes I've researched vary so wildly, I don't know which one to make! I want to make a simple, fluffly delicious bun that children will like. And the only reason I want to make it myself is because ALL the store bought ones have corn syrup in them!
I would SO appreciate any suggestions for a fool proof recipe - thanks Chowhounds!
Replicate roasted pig's head from The Gorbals?
Hi all, just wanted to report back that my attempt at replicating something akin to The Gorbal's pig head was a FAR CRY from Ilan's dish. While my pork shoulder was tasty, I don't think it had enough fat on it to actually turn out the "chicarrone" like texture the pig face had....unless I missed a step? My pork skin turned out crisp and brittle....but definitely not cracklin. I wonder what Ilan Hall did? I read around for some recipes on chicacharrone and I see some that says to use "baking soda"? Or as wattacetti said, maybe the head really makes all the difference in the world?
I will definitely attempt this dish again...or heck, just go order at the Gorbals!
Replicate roasted pig's head from The Gorbals?
HMM, good point! I happened to have full pork shoulders in the freezer so I was hoping that would be a good substitute, but you have a good point there! Thanks! And Thans Gmarie - the dish was so delish that I am inspired!
Replicate roasted pig's head from The Gorbals?
Has anyone had the roasted pig's head from The Gorbals? It wasn't my idea to order it, but I must say, I was the picking all the last remnants of the delicious, rich and sticky meat and unexpectedly crunchy-chicarrone like skin. The Chef, Ilan Hall, says he brines it for a few days and then boils it, and then roasts it to finish...but how does that transform what seems like super rubbery skin to that beautiful crunchy goodness? Thanks for any suggestions, I want to attempt this at home. I'm guessing any cut of pork might work for this? (I mean a piece with a nice layer of skin & fat....like a shoulder?)
Thanks!
advice on asian griddle & seasoning?
Thanks for your thoughts - in answer to your question, the griddle was black and sort of shiny. I too thought it was carbon steel, however, it is EXTREMELY heavy. So then I thought it might be cast iron.
I looked at the link to the lacquered wok you included - if it is a coating, its VERY thick - because where there's a chip in it, I can see how thick the layer is. I've also tried scrubbing it and it will barely come off.
UGH! I'm mad at myself for being so impulsive.
It sort of looks like a giant paella pan but its 10 times as heavy. Heavy sigh. I'll try to season it somemore to see if this lacquer or coating comes off. Thanks again for all your help!!!
Homemade Crème Fraiche
I just made creme fraiche myself - I used a recipe from a website called "foodwishes.com" - a guy named Chef John. It turned out perfectly and his video recipe shows you each step. I made a double batch - some to cook with, some to make ice cream with.
Here's the video recipe:
http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2011/03/homemade-creme-fraiche-nobodys-ever.html
On a side note, isn't it true that there is "no way" to make home made gelato because its really about the right machine which barely adds air to the custard/milk mixture? In any event, best of luck with your gelato - please let me know how it turns out, and if it does, please share your recipe!
advice on asian griddle & seasoning?
Hi Chowhounds,
I recently bought a giant griddle from LAX-C. Well, at least I think its a griddle. It was right next to the woks. No one at LAX-C could answer my questions so on a whim, I purchased it.
I assumed it was iron or cast iron and took it home and attempted to season it. I have a 30,000 BTU burner so I heated it up, cooled it down, used oil and kosher salt and have attempted to season it.
The problem is that even after TWO HOURS of doing this, the paper towels still come away BLACK and worse, in the middle of the griddle, it looks like there's some kind of COATING that is coming off???
I'm worried this is not food safe - what the heck is that coating? I am attaching a picture - sorry, its not very good - but maybe someone will recognize this and say "You idiot, this is no griddle! This is a part for an airplane"
What did I buy? Any advice what to do with this?
And BTW, I've gone back to LAX-C with it trying to get advice and still no help. HELP CHOWHOUNDS!
Exotic meat review - Peacock, venison
Hi Chowhounds,
A few months ago, I asked your advice about procuring exotic meats. Someone suggested I look into exoticmeats.com....and I did. Anchu, the owner, a charasmatic colorful character steered me towards peacock. They were expensive - about $300 bucks each. He promised the peacock would be well slaughtered and that I could even keep the peacock feathers (which I wanted to use for decoration). Well, I splurged and bought a couple peacocks. The review?
First of all, the peacocks showed up in dry ice, seem relatively fresh. They are quite large...maybe 9-11 pounds. And then the feathers turned out to be peahen......not peacock, but peahen. Now I know peacock is supposed to be a little tougher anyway....but I spent hours on the phone with this guy who promised me one thing and then sold me another. But what to do - the peacocks, er, peahens, were here, and I might as well cook them for this big party that I had been planning.
I also got a leg of venison, which looked incredibly fresh.
The peahen was gamey, and tasted like wild turkey. Not very flavorful. But I think all my guests liked how I cooked it (Breasts were roasted and the rest was braised).
So thanks again for the recommendation of exoticmeats.com - I have some things to sort out with the owners, and am hoping for a partial discount, but we're all very glad we tried it in the end!
Thanks again!
question about duck fat
As always, you are awesome with a fast and reassuring answer! One more question, there's like an inch of gelatinzed broth under the fat. I should probably separate that now and throw that part away right?
is a cast iron wok safe to burn wood IN?
Dear Chowhounds,
I have a random question, but I'm certain someone will know the answer....or have an opinion. : )
I have a flat bottomed cast iron wok that has been sitting around unused. This weekend, I thought it would be fun to use it as a "fire pit" and let my son and his friends roast their hot dogs over a teeny tiny wood burning fire.
If its hearty enough to handle intense heat on the outside, I figure its hearty enough to put logs in it and burn wood on the inside. I do not intend to use this wok anyway so I don't care if its ruined - just dont' want it to crack and spill hot embers out!
Any thoughts? Thanks and happy 4th!
question about duck fat
Hi Chowhound cooks,
Question for you: how long can duck fat sit in the fridge for?
A few weeks ago, I came into 2 leftover roasted ducks and simmered them for stock.
Afterwards, there was a thick layer of fat and I thought "Oh great, I'll save that fat for something".
3 weeks have gone by and I am just now remember that treasure in the back of my fridge.
Is it safe to use? And if so, how long do you think it can last?
Thanks!
48 hours in Solvang - favorite restaurants & vineyards?
Thank you "glbtrtr" and "ebeeeee" for these suggestions!
48 hours in Solvang - favorite restaurants & vineyards?
Hi Chowhounds,
My husband just surprised me and said he is taking me to Solvang this weekend! I've checked out some older Chowhound threads on your favorite restaurants (eg. Mirabelle Inn), but would love an updated take on your latest favs.
Also, would love to know your favorite vineyards for fun tours. We're pretty knowledgable winedrinkers, but also don't mind whimsy and off the beaten track (if its tasty and worth it!)
Thanks in advance for your advice!
live eels and eel recipes?
Thanks for everyone's suggestions! We got a few live eels and did them grilled & asian style, just like many of you suggeested. It was amazing. Thanks Chowhounds, as always, you guys rock!
