Michelly's Profile
Looking for interesting cheeses to try
A wonderfully creamy, slightly tangy cheese called Delice de Bourgigne is sometimes available at Trader Joe's, and more often at Bristol Farms (if you have one in your area) for slightly more.
What the heck happed to Chicken?
Ditto here. The two megamarts and the Trader Joe's within walking distance have breasts with or without skin.
Mebbe you need to find a butcher close to you...?
A kitchen without traditional cabinets-thought?
My thoughts, too. It's not just a matter of dust; it's that greasy grime that's inevitable even if you don't deep-fry. I have one upper cabinet door that refuses to stay shut, and more often than not, if I have to get a dish from the upper part of that cabinet, I have to wash the dish before using it.
Imagine having to do that to EVERY dish you have!
The dream kitchen
1) Removal of part of the wall so I can talk to folk in the living room while cooking so I don't feel like I'm isolated in a dungeon, preparing food while everyone else has fun.
2) More counterspace, replacing the horrid 2" tiles with a quartz top that doesn't have grouting which catches food.
3) A medium butcher block island with storage, possibly on casters so it can be pushed aside.
4) MORE cabinets and drawers, all swivel and/or pull-out.
5) A walk-in pantry.
6) More lighting and windows.
7) Either a fridge unit AND a freezer unit, or a tiny walk-in and a chest freezer.
8) Since there would now be room, an electric dishwasher (currently, I am the dishwasher).
9) A GOOD stove where all the burners work and a GOOD vent and hood that doesn't sound like a 747 engine.
10) Ample cabinets for my myriad of books and cooking magazines.(Don't want a computer in there: it would end up all covered with flour, chicken juice, and/or dough).
11) Replacement of the butt-ugly avocado, maize, and cocoa- brown colors -circa 1962- with clean, simple, warm southwestern colors like white, terra cotta, and teal.
12) Plates, bowls, glasses, silverware, and linens of my choosing (currently we have hand-me-downs from my MIL and my husband's bachelor days).
13) Someone to come in two or three times a week to clean the greasy stuff that collects on the walls and cabinets, clean the fridge, the windows, and the floor, and leave fresh flowers.
To Tell the Truth
I suggest that before you go to this place, eat something at home that you DO like, and when you get to the 'restaurant' with your friends, order just a drink and tell them that you're not feeling so good; your stomach's giving you trouble, but you didn't want that to stop you from being with them.
Buttermilk substitute [split from LA]
(Note: This tip was split from the LA board at: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/70566#7186939 -- The Chowhound Team)
You would probably scoff, but I found that when baking, you can subtitute 1 c whole milk plus 1 T white vinegar or lemon juice.
Luckily I love buttermilk, so when I get a quart, between biscuits, shortcakes, pancakes, other cakes, freshly made ranch and bleu cheese dressings, there's a lot of things to do with that quart.
Haven't seen Bourgeous Bros. buttermilk, and I tend to like Knudsen's, with its bits of butter in it.
Best Chocolate
I love the chocolates at Chocolate Opulance in The Market on the top floor of the new Santa Monica Place! While they're a bit out of my price range, I periodically indulge in a chili truffle, or one of the whiskey ones. They are the kind of thing that you stick in your mouth and all the world melts away because the quality is so good!!
BTW, has anyone tried Essential Chocolate shop in Culver City? (I think it's on Washington; I know it's on the south side of the street). I saw it while driving by, but was unfortunately unable to stop and check it out.
Read your canned coconut milk label!
Whenever I see coconut milk on sale, I stock up a few cans, regardless of the brand, thinking that they should be fairly similar.
So I pull out one can each of two different brands, since the recipe for Coconut Rice Pudding called for 2 cups and each can is 13.5 oz. Upon opening them, I discovered the thickness of one brand was like that of creme fraiche while the other brand was much more like coconut milk; a somewhat watered down whole milk. Reading the labels, which is what I should've done before buying, I found that the thick coconut milk was coconut extract, water, and "thickeners", while the other actually said "coconut milk".
So I mixed the two, and had to alter the cooking time to adjust for the thickness, which is normally obtained through the cooking.
Lesson learned!! Get the real stuff!!
Dissapointing Dinner at Friends House
Also agree.
What you consider serving someone can..not "always", but CAN...show how much you think of and know that person. If I have a foodie friend, I will go out of my way to make something that she would like, and if I have a non-foodie friend who would be happy with order-in pizza (although it can be fun initiating the cuisine-ignorant into our ways), I do that. Likewise, I check out for food restrictions beforehand so I don't end up having a meal where all I can offer a veggie friend is salad.
I feel the point is that the OP thinks enough about his guests to go through the trouble of offering something that would be good and that he could make/supply to the best of his ability. This shows CARING. Now, are said guests reciprocating (read:caring) enough TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY to do the same? If they are incapable of cooking well, but make an Effort, knowing that the OP is a Foodie, then maybe that's just going to be one of those things one deals with when in a relationship.
Ditto the who's-paying-for-dinner situation: if a well-to-do "friend" invited me out for a meal WITHOUT mentioning that it was to be dutch, then fully expected me to pay, I'd be a bit pissed; in my book, being asked out means you are a Guest and therefore you are being treated, even if you insist on and end up going dutch.
But you have to consider all factors. Maybe your friends' idea of entertaining involves take-out: is this because they are INCAPABLE, in any way, of putting together a real meal? And if so, do they reciprocate in other ways, such as helping you with your garage sale, or babysitting periodically?
I got onto another thread and confessed to being the Perpetual Guest. We are this because our house is extremely small and you can't fit more than 3 people in any room at any time including the dining room (and we have 3 people in our family!) But in return, we bring the wine (and we bring GOOD wine) and at least one dish PLUS dessert, and we help to bus and wash up afterward, so it works out.
But you gotta weigh all the factors in a relationship. While not sharing the obsession for food that we Hounds all have, as long as there're other things you share, AND you can tell if the other person does really care about you (and you them), then that should be enough to maintain a friendship.
Oh, gotta go...we're going to my MIL's for dinner. She's 93 and she likes to serve Chef Boy Ar Dee, frozen mixed veggies, and a "cherry cheese ring" ala mega mart for dinner.
Does she care about us? Infinitely...but that meal is all she can do, so we gotta get there early to talk her into going out.
Dissapointing Dinner at Friends House
maybe serve her only meals that are single-serving ie: individual quiches, egg rolls, or anything that would not come out of a communal platter?
Dissapointing Dinner at Friends House
Maybe that's the only thing he can contribute to a get-together, or feels like he can. Sometimes pride keeps some folk from listening to others when it comes to "giving" (like the aunt who keeps making handknit articles to give to relatives despite the fact that no one wants them).
Anyway that you can distract him, then sneak into the kitchen and doctor up the meatballs before they're cooked?
Make ahead for a novice cook
Check out Maryana Vollstedt's "The Big Book Of Casseroles"....great recipes for stews, etc.
doubling a cookie recipe, double baking soda too?
I double cookie, cake, and quick bread recipes all the time and I never had the result you describe. My first guess would've been the accidental substitution of baking powder for baking soda, but since you know you didn't do that, I don't have an answer.
Sorry!
Tres Leches cake - recipes wanted!
I use Saveur's recipe. It's a great cake and I can do the main part the night before company comes over.
CAKE:
1 T butter
1 c flour
2 t baking powder
3 eggs, rm. temp., separated
1 c sugar
1/2 c whole milk
1 c cream
one 14 oz can sweetened cond. milk
one 12 oz can evaporated milk
FROSTING:
2/3 c light corn syrup
2 egg whites, rm. temp.
Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 7x11" glass baking dish. Sift together flour and b. powder in sm. bowl. Use an electric beater to beat 3 whites in gl. bowl until soft peaks form, 2-3 min. Imcrease beating speed, gradually add sugar, beating until glossy, 1-1 1/2 min. Beat in yolks one at a time. Fold in one quarter of flour mixture at a time. Add milk; stir until smooth. Pour into prepared dish, mounding slightly in the center. Bake until cake tests done (toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean), 25-30 min. Set aside to cool in dish, then prick at 1" intervals with toothpick.
Use a whisk to combine cream with canned milks. Slowly pour over warm cake in dish. Set aside to cool, then cover and refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.
FROSTING: Combine corn syrup and 2 whites in lg. metal bowl. Set bowl over a pot of gently simmering water set over med-low heat and immediately beat egg white mixture on low speed until it reaches 140 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 4-5 min. Remove bowl from heat and beat until meringue is cool, 2-3 min., then frost cake.
Where are the cherries in Japanese cuisine?
Interesting. The sakura mochi would be a good ending to a Japanese dinner.
Sandwiches at home - no cold cuts
There's the bruschetta route: take your described sandwich, lose the avo, mayo & mustard, replace the lettuce with basil and the cheddar with fresh mozzarella (you can also use balsamic vinaigrette instead of straight balsamic vinegar) and, if you want, top with anchovy slices or capers.
Also try your described sandwich using a handful of onion sprouts (available at some farmer's markets).
A strange but yummy (and cheap) sandwich from my childhood was sliced green olives (the stuffed-with-pimento type) and sliced cheddar on soft bread spread with mayo.
There are also the myriad of variations on pizza utilizing bread, bagel, or tortilla, tomatoes or jarred sauce (including pesto), cheese, and whatever else you have. Advantages of such "open-faced sandwiches" is that they're hot, and you use only one slice of bread. (My usual is lightly toasted sourdough, tomato slices, zapped a few seconds in the micro to warm the tomatoes, then topped with thick slices of extra sharp cheddar and returned to micro to partially melt the cheese. Optional: top with crispy bacon. Eat with lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper and sometimes tabasco.
Where are the cherries in Japanese cuisine?
I always see artwork depicting cherry trees loaded with blossoms as indicative of Japan as maple trees are for New England and palm and coconut trees are for Hawaii and the Carribean.
So why do I NEVER see any cherry desserts in Japanese restaurants? Yes, they'll have green tea and/or red bean ice cream, sometimes in mochi, sometimes straight up, but when I go to a Japanese restaurant, I am amazed when the dessert choices include moltern chocolate cake and apple strudel (!!) I know they get these from a dessert supplier, but WHY are they serving them? After spending a meal of sushi, udon, rice, tempura, all eaten with gara and wasabi using chopsticks and downed with saki, I would NEVER sit back and think "Now...the APPLE STRUDEL!"
I'm thinking more of a couple steamed rice cakes with cherry sauce.
Anyone else?
And the award for the worst food at a Christmas party goes to....
Folk who eat fish, but no fowl or mammals, call themselves "Pescatarians".
911! Surprise guests coming in on the train: where to eat close-ish to Union Station?
Yes, Dad and friend announced arrival on Union Station at dinnertime this Tuesday! 80 They'll be hungry, so where to eat?
Stipends: close to Union Station and points west/southwest thereof
NOT high-high end, nor cheapy hole-in-the-wall. 75-yr-olds like good service & atmosphere along with good food.
Pref. not Asian; Dad just came back from the Philippines & will be riced-out.
Many thanks. Gotta go clean...
What Makes a Good Hot Chocolate Good?
Isn't it a tad crunchy? (I mean from the candy coating, not from using the peanut M&Ms).
What Makes a Good Hot Chocolate Good?
Starbucks used to make a drink during the fall/winter season called Chantico. It was to hot chocolate what espresso is to coffee. After some experimenting, I came up with something similar; thick and strong, and if you don't like it so intense, you can cut it down with hot milk (also feel free to adjust the sugar if you prefer semi-sweet).
The chili powder is necessary if you drink this drink while watching "Chocolat".
Hot Chocolate "Espresso"
1/3 heaping cup Penzey's High Fat Dutch Process Cocoa
1/3 heaping cup sugar
1/3 c hot water
2 dashes salt
3/4 c half and half
1/4 c 2% milk
large pinch chili powder, pref. chipotle or ancho (opt)
Whisk the cocoa, sugar, hot water, and salt in a medium saucepan until smooth. Place over medium-med/low heat and heat, stirring often, until just beginning to bubble. Stir in half and half and stir until heated through.
MICROWAVE: Whisk cocoa, sugar, hot water and salt in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Zap for 20 seconds, then stir, making sure you get all the stuff in the bottom. Repeat twice.( If mixture starts to bubble up, remove immediately and stir). Mix in dairy and chili powder, then zap for 1 minute or until hot. Serve in espresso cups.
"Kids Say the Darndest Things" about Food, Cooking, etc.: Plse Add Your Funny Experiences!
We took the in-laws out to eat at a Japanese restaurant where you sit on the floor. My then 4-yr-old dauughter was fascinated by the hostess, who was in full kimono and headress. When she brought a special (large) pillow for my daughter to sit on, she seated herself, then turned to the hostess and said "Thank you, little girl!"
Need nice restaurant near LAX
Truxton's on Truxton and Manchester. Great food and service!
Favorite whole peppercorns?
Second Penzey's Tellicherry. I buy the largish bags and go through them FAST!
Poll -- What foods/food items do you prefer commercially made?
+1 on peas and canned beans
Add on yogurt, and most condiments like mayo, ketchups, and mustards.
A lot depends on how much time one has. I would make my pasta from scratch if I had nothing else to do, but as it is, the packaged stuff, while not as nummy, will do; I do make the sauce from scratch when I can, which is not that often.
How Are These Mexican Restaurants in Santa Monica?
Do try La Tlapazola on Venice Blvd/Abbott Kinney. Their mole is excellent (ask and pay for an extra helping of sauce; very worth it) and the carne asada is NOT greasy at all!
The only downside is that they need to hire a bartender. As it is, the servers have to mix their own margaritas, resulting in inconsistency in quality and, if it's busy, a long wait for your drink.
But this is definitely one mom-and-pop place that deserves heavy patronage.
How Are These Mexican Restaurants in Santa Monica?
They've gone downhill; they used to be good, but the last time we were there, it was disappointing....the food was dry and seemed like leftovers.
It's also too darn dark in there.
La Sandia in the SM Place is much better.
