superfinespot's Profile
Dessert to go with sangria?
caramel comes to mind..- alfajores, dulce de leche brownies, coconut ice cream or sorbet, vanilla custard
easy to bring delicious dessert
after beef burgundy, my vote would be for tarts: chocolate, apple caramel tart (seasonal)
found this for pear goat cheese w/honey (since cheese, port, baklava and pears already mentioned above): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pear-tart-with-goat-cheese-and-port-recipe/index.html or http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/10/goat-cheese-tart-with-pears-tarte-au-chevre-avec-poires-recipe.html
figs would also pair well.
Best Guy-Friendly Dessert?
agreed on these with slight variation for my boyfriend:
pumkin, apple, cherry, or blueberry pie w/plain vanilla ice cream
oatmeal raisin or oatmeal scotchies cookies (but i think for most the CCC is the way to go)
brownies
cake would never fly.
higher end chopsticks
plain bamboo is fine. the less expensive the better.
in looking for "higher end" i was implying that i'm hoping to find chopsticks which are made of materials that aren't going to splinter or chip easily. my local japanese restaurants give plain, untreated wood chopsticks for free with take out. i find they're most cheap and splinter easily.
to the other replies - the term "organic" was used in my post to give a general sense that i wanted a chopstick which hadn't been treated. i am looking for a chopstick w/o a paint or chemical finish applied. it wasn't meant to describe the origins of the wood itself. thanks.
thanks. i'll look into snowpeak.
Rosh Hashanah--vegetarian style
butting in - go w/fresh squash first if you can. the birdseye stuff is insanely gross and watery. next best are the organic canned varieties. you could also do canned pumpkin (libby's) or fresh sweet potatoes/yams
higher end chopsticks
where can i buy chopsticks that aren't painted w/lacquer? i find those chip easily and i'd like something organic - like natural wood. also, should i worry about whether or not the wood has been treated with chemicals?
Hors d'oeuvre ideas for wine/cheese party
candied rosemary walnuts or cashews
raspberry blondies
coconut cupcakes
mini tarts filled with homemade lemon curd and fresh blackberries, candied ginger
phyllo cups, chocolate mousse, berries (assemble when you get there)
yogurt cake with raspberry coulis
rocky ledge bars (martha stewart) : p
Fall Baby Shower Menu, please review
cheese twists! paula deen has a great recipe
black olive tapenade over the green. or maybe a walnut pesto?
meat skewers or a dipping sauce type appetizer would also be nice.
dessert sounds great but i'd keep the chocolate w/o fruit and do cream or white chocolate shavings. something cakey and celebratory too would be a good 2nd option- like honey pear apple cake w/toffee caramel, or pumpkin cupcakes w/cinnamon buttercream & candied walnuts...
My cupcake liners keep separating from my cupcakes...HELP!!!
cakegirl, i totally empathize. same thing happened to me. having more experience as a baker now, i think it was under-filling the cupcake liners that did it to me. HOWEVER, i've been too traumatized to do a yellow cake since so i'd also suggest trying a different recipe.
try out amy sedaris' vanilla cupcakes, joy of baking, or one from martha's cupcake book like this: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/snickerdoodle-cupcakes i've seen bloggers bake these with success
Happy hour fundraiser in Midtown?
pescatore or dos caminos for sure
you can also check out ashton's but i've never been
Covered in chocolate
definitely going with the salted mini twists although i did read a creative idea on the board to dip the pb filled ones nuggets.
since i can't get chocolate bark for melting, can i go w/chips and melt it at bursts in the microwave?
Covered in chocolate
I'm making chocolate covered pretzels with either semi- or dark chocolate. Should I use unsalted or salted pretzels? I want to avoid the rods or the super thin twisted ones. Would the butter or sourdough Snyder's work? Or should I stick w/mini's?
Can anything be done for instant pudding?
the "magic" ingredient in those ultra soft chocolate chip cookies is instant pudding (google for recipe)
or throw it into a chocolate cake. you'll find threads on the topic on this board.
Wedding Mini-Dessert Buffet
would you consider doing heart shaped cookies or sugar cookies w/the bride and groom's names on them? there are cute cookies in wedding shapes too or a sugar cookie cake: http://planyourweddingbootcamp.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/sugar-cookie-cakes/
-thumbprints w/almonds or walnuts on the outside, jam insides
-mini brown butter or peanut butter blondies
-oat cookies w/crystalized ginger
-spiced chocolate cookies w/white chocolate drizzle
-linzer cookies in a heart shape
-mini fruit tarts w/lemon curd, fresh raspberry on top
-mini ganache tarts
-biscotti
Non Chocolate Dessert ideas for a buffet?
if you do the tart and the cupcakes, i'd go with a non-chocolate cookie (almond crescents, chai spice, frosted butter cookie w/orange zest, jam thumbprints, maple walnut, fig swirls, oatmeal cherry), nut toffee or biscotti. that way you have all dessert categories covered: frosted cake - tart/pie - cookie option.
these look good though:
-orange brownies (more like orange lemon bars w/o chocolate):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/orange-brownies-recipe/index.html
-gingerbread apple upside down cake w vanilla whipped cream:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/11/gingerbread-apple-upside-down-cake/
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What's your Favorite Christmas Cookie that you give as a Gift?
date bars are usually a bar cookie w/a oatmeal base, date filling (chopped or pureed in the center w/sugar, etc), and then an oatmeal topping (same as base layer).
Heresy!!?? NO! Low Fattish Christmas Cookies
yeah, i guess neither are the two recipes posted by the OP, oakjen. they've got almonds/nuts which aren't fat free ingredients.
they're no fat added recipes though
Ricotta Cheesecake/Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe Rec.?
here's a very helpful thread for the 2nd cake:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/661092
What's your best holiday nut recipe?
sparkareno- ew. i hadn't seen the butter problem mentioned before!
perk-
here's a thread w/other suggestions including sweet variations, lemon pepper, etc. epicurious seems to be the clear resource winner!
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/460258?tag=footer_recommendation%3bboard_discussion_module_small
Fear of latkes
the today show had a segment on this 12/09 at around 10a. i can't find the link but i did find another latke guide by mark bittman: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28350489/ns/today-today_holiday_guide/
Potato 'nik' and latkes
Mark Bittman
4 to 6 servings, Time: About 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• About 2 pounds starchy potatoes, like Idaho or russet, peeled
• 1 medium onion, peeled
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs or matzo meal
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, as needed
Potato 'nik'
1. Grate the potatoes and onion by hand or with the grating disk of a food processor; drain well in a colander or strainer. Combine the potatoes and onion in a large bowl with the eggs and bread crumbs; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Put about 1/8 inch of oil in a large, deep skillet, preferably nonstick or cast-iron, over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (it will shimmer), put the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the bottom is nicely browned, at least 15 minutes, adjusting the heat so the mixture sizzles but doesn’t burn.
3. To turn, slide the cake out onto a large plate, cover with another large plate, and invert the 2 plates together. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary and slide the pancake back in, cooked side up. Cook for another 15 minutes or so, until nicely browned, then serve hot or warm.
Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
The original: Prepare the potato batter in Step 1 and heat the pan as described in Step 2. When the oil is hot, put large spoonfuls of batter into the pan to form individual pancakes. Cook until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total per pancake. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven until all of the latkes are finished.
TIPS
Other vegetables you can use: sweet potatoes (cooked over slightly lower heat for about 5 minutes less per side); a combination of potatoes and sweet potatoes, carrots, or turnips is also good.
Chef's note: If you don’t use a nonstick pan, coat the bottom of your skillet with about 1/8 inch of oil. And turn the thing carefully.
Cheesecake on a cake base?
a festive cake but i'm not sure if it's what you're looking for exactly:
http://debbmarie.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/my-new-kitchenaid-mixer-juniors-cheesecake-cookbook-red-velvet-cake-recipe-red-velvet-cheesecake/
What's your best holiday nut recipe?
frequent suggestions include: union square nuts (epicurious), ina garten's rosemary cashews, and there are ideas on here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/672153 including a bacon one from the nyt that sounds awesome
Holiday party -- want different but easy tasty finger foods
this is a good one. can you link to the meatball recipe?
Food gift for Atkins Dieter?
nuts (but do slightly pricier ones - pine nuts, macadamia nuts, etc)
coconut oil
bottle of high end olive oil
imported cheeses
gourmet mustard, vinegar
items from here: http://www.thelowcarbgrocery.com/
Healthy holiday gift basket ideas
i've made numerous versions. a baked bar will hold longer than non, fyi. these were very good and held shape nicely w/o a fridge and didn't use oats or too many ingredients. they were tasty. i used brown rice krispies and you can sub the corn syrup.
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/healthy/nutritiousdishes/energyfoodrecipes/recipes/food/views/Sports-Bars-with-Dried-Fruit-and-Peanut-Butter-106135
alton's is also very popular
'Tis the Season--To Go To a Party
is baking ahead and freezing an option?
how about making chocolate bark or toffee ahead of time so you don't have to cook at midnight? i'd do the bark w/exotic add-ins
Healthy holiday gift basket ideas
1 - nofunlatte has great ideas.
2- get vanilla whey protein and mix it into a great whey protein, whole wheat chocolate chip cookie! the gym regulars would thank you for the protein boost
3 - homemade lara bars - process dates + nuts/seeds, etc
4 - lighter version of decadent treats. an oatmeal cookie w/dried fruit, dark chocolate, nuts and no sugar would be my call but here are others:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1622516
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1886427
america's test kitchen lowfat and fudgy ones:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2-oz bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp low fat sour cream or yogurt
1 large egg
1 egg white
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, melt together bittersweet chocolate and butter. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk chocolate mixture with sugars and sour cream. Whisk in egg, egg white and vanilla extract. Gently mix in the flour mixture, mixing until no streaks of flour remain. Batter will be thick.
Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
Cool brownies completely in the pan. Store in an airtight container.
Makes 12 brownie wedges.
LIGHT/EASY DESSERT FOR CHANUKAH DINNER
1- do you have an ice cream maker? regardless you can make homemade sorbet in lemon, cranberry, coconut or any other flavor
2 - mousse and either do a premade crust, grahams for dipping, or one of the ideas below. use hannukah gelt for decoration though!
* 1 package of silken tofu (~12 oz)
* 10 oz chocolate chips
* 3 tablespoons maple syrup
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract; optional.
Directions:
1. Blend tofu (preferably at room temperature) in food processor, blender, or with hand mixer until just smooth.
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips with a tablespoon or two of water over low heat. Stir constantly.
3. Add maple syrup to melted chocolate and combine.
4. Put chocolate & syrup blend into processor and mix with tofu until creamy.
5. Pour into very small serving dishes - this stuff is rich. Serve warm or chill until set.
Serving options:
o Fold in a half-cup of non-dairy whipped topping at the end
o Garnish with cut fruits
o Pour mixture into a vegan graham cracker crust and chill until set
o Use as a dip for fruit and graham crackers
o Use as icing for cake or cookies
Vegan Chocolate Mousse: Rich Fudgy Vegan Dessert made with Soft Tofu | Suite101.com http://vegetariancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/vegan_chocolate_mousse#ixzz0Z6HWwO60
Completing my friend holiday dinner party menu
for the jambalaya bread pudding, pecan browies would work or
a tart:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/best-pie-bakeoff-2008/chocolate-bourbon-truffleturtle-tart-best-pie-bakeoff-2008-entry-12-069625
Beet recipes - other than roasted or in a salad?
how about some brownies:
http://www.egglesscooking.com/2009/09/30/oat-flour-and-beet-brownies/
