MakingSense's Profile
Cream Of Anything Soup
This is surprisingly simple. Canned, condensed soups are basically veloutes.
You know how to make a basic bechamel, right? Add milk to the cooked butter/flour base.
For a veloute, substitute a stock for the milk. The simplest is with chicken stock or fish fumet. You can experiment with mushroom or vegetable stocks too. The proportion of "blond roux" to liquid will determine the thickness of your veloute.
Classic creme soups use very little dairy. Perhaps a bit of cream or creme fraiche near the end of cooking to enrich them and give them a nice "mouth."
Pre-wedding meeting of the parents
My mother would not have enjoyed any of those alternatives. When selecting for an occasion like this, it's best to choose something neutral, especially when you are not sure of the tastes of the people involved.
Need idiot-proof cookware...
Since you like the idea of cast iron, I'll point out another advantage of a large CI skillet. I use my 12" as a roasting pan. Works well for even a pretty large roasting chicken, rib roast, good sized pork loin or meat loaf. I'd never use my SS for that as the cleanup can be tough.
Oil traces found in Gulf food chain, scientists say on CNN.com
Sometimes, they really truly know not what they do....
That story is really funny! But then, all real humor is based on a kernel of truth lurking somewhere inside. Scary, huh?
Do you have to sneak vegetables into your kids?
Isn't it instilling pretty poor habits to allow your child to choose a brownie for supper even if you secretly know there's some spinach lurking in there?
Even after you tell him that you snuck in the dreaded spinach, he still got a brownie. He wins!
Do you have to sneak vegetables into your kids?
This is a control issue for kids too. They don't have much power but they can make themselves the center of attention by refusing their carrots or whatever. Mommy and Daddy stop talking to one another or the other kids. They are rewarded for a very small and virtually effortless act of will.
This is why we tried hard not to make an issue of the food-funnies.
Just put the food out there and, if everyone else is eating it, sooner or later, they will too. Your kid is not going to starve to death.
This behavior starts at an earlier age than you might think and endure well into adulthood if it is reinforced,
Even negative attention is still attention. Don't make a deal out of your child's power play. Even if he/she is pretty much grown up.
Once you recognize this, it gets easier.
Oil traces found in Gulf food chain, scientists say on CNN.com
That would make it even more shocking and unrealistic. This was a major policy mistake IMHO.
Screwed up the food system, now we've got all that HFCS, and the economics of a whole swath of farm states in the Mid West. it was even blamed for throwing the international food markets out of whack a few years ago causing famines.
Hot Dogs vs. Fried Chicken
Pan- fried. The classic way for home cooks to fry chicken. Oil or whatever fat about deep enough to come half-way up the chicken which is flipped midway through.
Some cover it for part of the process, some don't.
"While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales"
Government has legitimate functions and all but the most theoretical lalaland libertarians will acknowledge that. The larger question is where does it stop and how effectively does the government coordinate its functions.
It was easy to see the breakdown in the government response to the BP spill. Regulations from Interior, EPA, and NOAA (part of Commerce) conflicted with one another and led to long delays in deploying time-tested responses to impending damage. On the other hand, we see exemplary government response to more predictable emergencies such as wildfires.
With the Dairy marketing program, we have a conflict between the government suborning an increase in cheese consumption at the same time another program discourages the consumption of high fat food. Go figure.
There are things which only a central government can do and which the Constitution empowers them to undertake. But redundancy and overlapping function has led to inflexibility and huge costs both to the federal budget and downstream in the economy.
No one can make us 100% safe. At what point do we say that the financial cost, surrendering our liberties, and regulatory burdens exceed the benefits of any particular program? When does one program conflict with the goals of another? Exactly where are our priorities?
To me, encouraging Americans to eat more cheese is not a useful function of government.
We're not talking about a lot of money here. But if we can all pretty much agree that this type of program is not in the best interest of the nation, we have a starting point for a consensus. Cut this and then move on. Let's find other things we can live without.
"While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales"
If the government's participation in the program was discontinued tomorrow morning, it would not affect your cheese consumption.
QED - at least for you.
"While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales"
That has nothing to do with cheese.
While many are perseverating about various programs that may or may nor benefit them now or in the future, they ignore the 1000s of government programs that drain resources, stifle the private sector, and cost billions. These programs seem innocuous enough but their costs add up to serious money.
We need to hunt them down and kill them.
I'd eat good cheese even if this program died tomorrow at 10 AM. Wouldn't you?
"While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales"
Yep. And there is an attitude that if it's got the government's blessings, it must be good.
That's gotta stop.
What the government gives, the government can take away.
"While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales"
You're right that they're playing chess while our bureaucrats play checkers, but you're off on a tangent.
The issue at hand is the assumption by the government of marketing responsibilities that private industry should and could do for itself. These programs may be small but added together they begin to add up to a serious commitment of federal funds that we might better direct to necessities.
This is a domestic spending issue first and foremost before we even begin to address the promotion of US products and services overseas. Getting our own financial house in order will strengthen us globally.
"While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales"
Y'all need to step back. It's not about cheese or obesity.
What's wrong here is that the government has taken over what should be a private marketing function. America's dairy industry and, in this case, its cheese makers, can fund and operate their own trade association to promote their products. Somehow the government has chosen to assume control and flack for them.
The cost to the taxpayer is not large (a few million here, a few million there) as this is largely funded by a mandatory contribution from dairy farmers. But it requires the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint the Board and perform other functions.
Ag does this for a few other products like beef and pork. They should stop. Get rid of these programs which amount to government control and subsidy.
The Agriculture Department should provide us with objective, science-based nutrition information, help farmers, and provide oversight on food safety. They should not be an ad agency.
If we end stuff like this, we can begin to trim the deficit and the debt. Get rid of it for whatever reason you choose, but get rid of it.
The Washington Post challenged the new GOP congress to try. Whether they want them to lose in the next election for attacking sacred cows (excuse the pun) or they're serious about smaller government remains to be seen. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/12/AR2010111206489.html
Oil traces found in Gulf food chain, scientists say on CNN.com
Ouch! Please don't scream. But it would be good if more more people knew and spoke about the horrible dead zone. Even better if they connected the dots and admitted that it was a major unintended consequence of government subsidies for ethanol.
Agricultural scientists and economists warned that this might be a likely outcome but were overwhelmed in the debate by environmentalists who swore that ethanol was a serious step to ending our dependence on petroleum.
Now it requires almost a gallon of petroleum based input to produce and deliver a gallon of ethanol. That didn't work out so well, did it?
Good luck on ending those subsidies. It will require some very brave Farm Belt politicians who are willing to be defeated at the polls to end them. The economies of several states are powered by subsidies to King Corn. There will be pain.
Japanese food versus Korean food
How interesting that you have made this sweeping generalization from the Great Cultural Capital of the World, aka California. Have you ever traveled in Japan or Korea? Sheesh.
Is it equally "interesting" to you that food in Boston is so different from that of Charleston? "neighboring countries with related histories and cultures and significant coastlines..."
Need idiot-proof cookware...
Here's what I would suggestt:
Stock pot: an 8 quart would do, but why not get a 12 quart? Just don't fill it up, but if you're having a party, you still have the ability to cook for a crowd or use it to chill beer. You need this to steam 2 lobsters. Just make sure you have the storage room. A decent stainless steel stock pot can be acquired cheaply as a promotional sale for as little at $10. You can put SS in the dishwasher.
2 sauce pans: on a daily basis, you'll cook for two, so get a 1 1/2 qt and a 3 qt. My preferred pan is the Windsor. Small bottom that lets you steam without a rack. These will nest to save space. It pays to get copper core bottoms on these, but commercial aluminum from a restaurant supply store will be fine if money is an issue.
You didn't ask but a very small Windsor with a lip for melting butter or heating sauces is a useful thing to have.
You can also buy a double boiler insert for the larger Windsor which saves having to buy another pot.
I keep a dedicated pan for eggs. A little OCD but it has become completely non-stick. My family knows that using it for anything other than eggs is a mortal sin. Mine is a 30+ year old Calphalon, at least twice the thickness of anything they currently offer, so you'll have to settle.
If this isn't important, an 8" non-stick is a useful tool. Plan to throw it away every couple of years.
Skillets/Saute pans: I think the argument over fry vs saute is overdone. It's more important to decide how much care you are willing to give to a pan.
You need a large area skillet - 12 inches. It can be cast iron if you can keep you fiance from ruining it. You may be better off with a copper core stainless steel saute pan - the one with the sloping sides. I have an All-Clad copper that I use for everything from fish to steaks, although I much prefer to take advantage of the very high heat of my 12 inch cast iron to get the good sear on steaks and other meats. The 12 inch cast iron is my go-to. It lives on the stove-top and I use it for everything from one pork chop to several steaks or a fricasse. My father used it as a griddle to make his morning toast or pancake..
Please note that both of these pans require maintenance and neither goes in the DW. If that is important, buy stainless steel with a copper core.
I can cook well with this limited number of pots and pans. You might want more - now or later.
Start small. Never spend more than necessary. You can live well with less than you might imagine.
Favorite copper pan?
Agree totally with kaleokahu on the desert island pot. I've got an obscene amount of cookware acquired over decades but if I had to do it again? I'd buy a set of graduated-size fait-tout/windsor pots.
I own several ranging from a 1 quart Calphalon with a lip for small amounts of sauces to a 6 qt that steams large quantities of vegetables or boils pasta. As their name says, they "do everything."
My daughter was recently looking to add a large pot and was vacillating among various expensive brands until I dragged her to the restaurant supply store and made her buy a commercial windsor. It is now her go-to for everything from popcorn to soup, steaming veggies, and rice.
These pots are the real workhorses of a kitchen.
Just for pleasure, I'd love to have the 4 or 6 quart copper Mauviel Windsor. The pot you use the most should give you joy. I'd never mind polishing such a perfect tool.
Bread to make a muffuletta-where to find
Hey, try the recipe that Monkey links to. It's close to the one I've used for years. Got sick of paying the prices for over-the-counter stuff, not to mention having it leak in my luggage on the trip back from NOLA.
The only thing you might change (for authenticity) in that recipe is to use plain old canned black olives from the supermarket instead of calamatas. Yeah, I know that sounds low rent, but the delis in NOLA were basically grocery stores and trying to make a buck. That's what they had and they were economical. When I was playing with the recipe, I could never get it to pass muster with my ex-pat NOLA friends until I used the canned olives. Bingo!
I make vats of the stuff and keep it on hand in the fridge, Not just for Muffs but great in salads and other things.
Mom Mom's Red Velvet Cake/Butter Cream Icing
I always used the called-for cake flour until one rainy day when I was out of it. Used White Lily instead and it worked great. White Lily is soft winter wheat with a low protein level and is probably comparable to cake flour. It's available pretty widely throughout the South.
No more cake flour now to clutter my pantry shelf.
Do you have to sneak vegetables into your kids?
We were willing to recognize that some kids just truly don't like some foods. They'll probably grow to appreciate or at least tolerate them but why make a deal out of it?
We like a lot of stews and other dishes with onions/peppers/celery/etc, things that aren't on the favorites list for most kids. When they were little, I chopped the veggies larger and they had permission to pick out what they didn't like (with forks, not fingers!) and put it to the side of the plate. After a while, it got to be too much trouble and they started to just eat the stuff. They were already used to the flavors anyway since they were cooked into the food. Problem solved. Thank God for lazy kids!
Hot Dogs vs. Fried Chicken
My current favorite fried chicken joint is Crown on H Street. 700 block almost to 8th St. This place looks really nasty. The word "ghetto" fits. But it's owned by a really nice family and the chicken is great. They always offer hot sauce but their chicken is fine as is, just like you get from the very best home cooks in the South.
They're open almost 24 hours a day. They close from something like 2 am to 5 am. Then they have great carryout breakfast.
Do you have to sneak vegetables into your kids?
Aren't you admitting that vegetables are undesirable if you're sneaking them into stuff?
Kids learn by example. Although it's natural to have some likes/dislikes, it seems to me that picky parents beget picky kids. If you pretty much eat everything, so will your kids.
We put dinner on the table. No questions. That's your dinner. We ate it.They ate it. Maybe they didn't know any better, but they grew up to eat pretty much everything.
Hot Dogs vs. Fried Chicken
I eat hot dogs at baseball games. Ain't right to go to a game without a ceremonial dog.
But chicken is special. Popeye's will do, especially since they've got great sides. Love their red beans and rice or cajun rice. And damned decent biscuits.
But my real favorites are from some bulletproof carryouts in less-than-great sections of town. Just simple flour coating fried to a crackling crisp. Even good cold the next day - the acid test for great fried chicken.
Another option is the United House of Prayer for All People. Founded by Rev, Charles "Sweet Daddy" Grace, they seem to consider food as part of their mission. The one closest to my home has plate dinners on Saturdays and Sundays, prepared by the church ladies in the basement cafeteria. Fried chicken with two sides (great collards) for about $6.
The same light flour coating, perfectly seasoned, fried to a crackly crunch. Perfect Southern fried chicken.
Fried or Smoke Turkey
Maybe the best smoked turkey in the US of A is from Greenberg's in Tyler, TX. They ship it to you.
Good prices and better than anything you'll find locally. http://www.gobblegobble.com/
Fried turkey is best hot, right out of grease. Sorry to say, this is really a DIY deal.
The cost of the oil often exceeds the price of the turkey, but if you have a place to store the oil, it can be used several times.
To avoid setting your deck on fire, you can use one of the new indoor electric turkey fryers. http://www.amazon.com/Masterbuilt-20010109-Butterball-Professional-Electric/dp/B002JM1ZMY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289629463&sr=8-1
They use less oil and can be set right on your kitchen counter. Also useful for other things so it's not a one-trick pony.
Chuck's Wagon BBQ on H Street NE?
Those RFK ribs are more than respectable. I grab them fairly often when I hit the farmers' market. Nice crunchy char on the outside and the meat still has a decent chew to it. Not that "falling off the bone" mushy crap.Choice of regular or hot sauce on the side.
There's also a Jamaican stall sometimes that does really good fried fish.
Good eats near National Arboretum? (D.C.)
The Capital City Diner might be just what you need. A classic diner with classic diner food. Really good diner food and a neighborhood favorite. I love their biscuits in the morning, great meatloaf, terrific fried chicken, seriously good collard greens, and a classic burger with waffle fries. They also have a liquor license so you can get a brew with your food.
They're open 24-hours from Friday through Sunday but close by 5 PM on Sunday - so don't be late.
http://www.capitalcitydiner.com/
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City Diner
5616 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041
Visit from NYC seeking Md. Crabs
The answer is really much simpler than that. You can get Virginia crabs year round. Same crabs as MD and the states have about the same annual harvests.
MD's season runs through November but after Labor Day, the demand drops off. (That's actually a shame because Fall crabs are the best. Full and fat as the crabs prepare for winter.)
The same watermen who crab also oyster so they convert their boats, store the crab gear, and begin tonging or dredging for oysters. The supply of local crabs drops steadily until season's end. Most waterman stop when the water temperature drops below 60 to 62 degrees because the crabs don't run and it isn't worth their while.
There isn't a large enough harvest from the Bay to supply the local demand even at the height of the season, so crabs are "imported" year round from the Gulf and during warmer weather from along the Atlantic Coast from the Carolinas south. The blue crabs from warmer waters are also larger than local crabs; many consumers prefer these larger crabs and are willing to pay premium prices for them.
Chuck's Wagon BBQ on H Street NE?
I think their main place is out in Clinton. The kitchen on H Street is big enough to do a lot of food prep but the front counter is really cramped, so maybe they are going to do a lot of catering. There was a caterer in that space before them.
We can use some good BBQ on H. Kenny's is OK but not as good as Hogs on the Hill was.
Largest wine store in the area
Schneider's has a bunch of Hermitage and St. Joseph. Check their website to see if they're what you're seeking. http://www.cellar.com/inventory_category2.aspx?category=Wine&subcategory=Rhone&subcategory2=France
This is a terrific store. Once you connect with one of their good wine people, you'll be very happy.
They let their steady customers know about bargains and their prices are excellent to start with.
From Baltimore, this is an easy shot. Capitol Hill is right of the Baltimore Washington Parkway. Just don't take the NY Ave. exit. Use the East Capitol Street exit by RFK.
