tall sarah's Profile
The Perfect Biscuit - what are your secrets to make it happen?
With many opinions regarding flour & butter, I have found that practice & lots of it makes a huge difference. You'll find which ingredients you prefer. And if you practice making them at least 2 times each week, you'll discover how to just whip them up & have them on the table in 20 minutes & love them every time.
FWIW, I love White Lily flour & find it makes excellent cakes & biscuits. I don't always have it, so I use King Arthur with great results.
Purchasing half a pig (butchered and frozen)
I also love Brambly Farms. Sandra even delivered the 1/2 pig to me at my house. It is delicious pork, for sure.
I get their pork, eggs & turkeys.
If you like, you can get a little sampler pack to make sure you are happy with the quality. I have been getting their pork for the last few years & won't go back to buying from the grocery.
Cake in Lexington--is it ever not stale?
I've been very happy with cupcakes from Quebrada in East Arlington. I have placed orders ahead of time & bought a couple dozen directly from the cases. Each time, the cupcakes were def. freshly made that day (early in the am at their Wellesly store) & YUMMY.
I've had Cake's cupcakes at their Arlington location & haven't experienced stale ones, thankfully. Perhaps if you ask the shop in Lex if you were to order them, would they be freshly made? Hmmm. Worth investigating.
Special occasion fine dining - with a baby - Cambridge
Regarding Hungry Mother- I would not take a small child there as the place is tiny. If you have to wait for your table (even with reservations, I've had to wait up to 30 minutes 3 separate times), the bar area is miniscule with barely any room to turn around. The tables upstairs are packed together, so there's really not room for a baby on a lap.
I'm not trying to downplay HM at all- it's one of my favorite restaurants in the Boston area. It's just not a place for a wee one, IMO. The food is wonderful, so get a sitter & enjoy a fine, fine meal there (and a yummy cocktail!)
Help with menu for casual dinner this weekend? Sorta Southern themed
It's not too much food, especially since it's a Southern theme :) A good old coleslaw would fit in nicely (and it's SO inexpensive!) & could provide good color with a mixture of red & green cabbage. And you can make it a day ahead (just mix in your dressing an hour or 2 before- vinegar & oil or mayo based). I also shred carrots for my slaw for additional color. And keep the roasted tomatoes. Tomatoes are often served one way or another for Southern meals.
Enjoy & make sure that pimento cheese has a good kick to it. A real good kick! Yum....
Indonesian market
I don't go over to Russo's often enough, apparently! I'll have to keep going & get them whenever I can & just freeze. Thanks!
Indonesian market
Have you found a good supplier for the kaffir lime leaves? I have been unsuccessful for the last few years & need them in several dishes.
If you are looking for side dish recipes, I highly recommend the Cradle of Flavor cookbook. The recipes look terribly involved, but really, the instructions are kind of over the top for detail. Most of the time is spent chopping. He also has great recommendations for pairing food- for example, beef rendang pairs well with a fish curry, cucumber & carrot pickle (delicious!), stir fried Asian greens with garlic & chiles, tofu & summer veggies in coconut milk. My old dinner club made the best meal one time using recipes from this cookbook. 4 couples each made 3-4 things so we had quite a feast.
Indonesian market
Interesting recipe. I have had the beef rendang from Cradle of Flavor cookbook by James Oseland. It was fantastic.
Regarding lemongrass- I've seen it at Russo's for a decent price. Unless you are making rendang for a huge crowd, buying 3 (as your recipe & mine indicate) won't be too pricey. I've had a very hard time finding kaffir lime leaves & daun salam leaves, either frozen or fresh. During summertime, local lemongrass is available at many farmer's markets.
Happy cooking!
Looking for really delicious sandwiches (platter) for a party
I agree with Flour rec. I had their roast beef sandwich last week & it was the best sandwich I've ever had. I had a hard time deciding what sandwich to get b/c the choices & flavors all sounded great. My husband got the blt & he said it was delicious. The roast beef is so wonderful, that I'm now thinking of driving there for lunch today!
Making pancakes for a crowd
I'm not familiar with that specific recipe, but have made pancakes for a crowd before.
I suggest you make a test batter & cook it a day later. See if you like the results. If you don't, it's pretty easy to have the dry & the wet ingredients done separately the day before & mix them up right before making them. In your single batch test batter, measure out the total dry & total wet ingredients, so you'll know how much to mix together for your batter, if you just want to mix up a couple of batches at a time. Have it written down, so your helpers will be able to mix without any problems (and make sure your helpers know how to correctly measure & mix so it's not over-stirred.)
I have found re-heating in a microwave makes pancakes tough. Very, very tough. You can keep them in a warmed oven for about 20 minutes or so. They won't be quite as good, but better than microwaved.
Also, if you are good with a flipper, you can have several griddles going at one time on the stovetop. And if you have access to an electric skillet, you can bang out even more. Beware of using too many electric griddles at once as fuses can be blown if the kitchen isn't up to current electrical codes.
Have fun!
Christmas Eve Fish Main Course for 15
One dish I LOVE to make is flounder or grey sole fillets with spinach parmesan stuffing. This recipe is from the Stonewall Kitchen cookbook (it is paraphrased here). It serves 4 & is easy to make all ahead several hours & then just pop in the oven right before you eat.
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, sliced thin
3/4 lb spinach, thick stems removed
s&p to taste
8 fillets of flounder or sole (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1/4 cup grated parm
3/4 c dry white wine
2 T butter
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Heat oil & cook garlic about 10 seconds. Add spinach & cook til soft, abt 5 min. S&P to taste. Remove to a collander & squeeze out water. Chop spinach & set aside.
Lay out the fillets, sprinkle with s&p. Put 1-2 T spinach on top, sprinkle with cheese. Roll up fish. Place on broiler pan. Repeat til done.
Cover & keep in fridge until ready to cook.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 deg. Pour 1/2 cup wine on top of fish & bake 12 min. Remove from oven & preheat broiler. Add another 1/4 cup wine to pan along with butter & broil 2 min. Remove from oven & sprinkle bread crumbs on top of fish. Spoon cooking liquid on top of fish to moisten breadcrumbs. Broil another 3-4 min.
I have also made this with sauteed beet greens i/o spinach which creates a beautiful pink sauce. Beet greens may be hard to come by this time of year, depending where you are.
I have made this for about a dozen people & it took 2 half sheet pans, fairly well filled. Goes well with rice or potatoes or even home made egg pasta. This is seriously the best fish dish I have ever made & it is beautiful on the plate.
Merry Christmas!
need white wine pairing with Swiss raclette
Does anyone have any suggestions for a bottle in the $20-25 range? Thanks!
What are you making when it is too hot to cook?
Hot here in Boston. Not 115, but 103.
Last night I grilled our entire meal- green beans in soy sauce/ sesame oil/ lemon zest, sliced new potatoes & spanish green onions (thank goodness I did not give away that pan for the grill!), rib eye steak. Ok, so the salad wasn't grilled. Dang it tasted good, our kitchen & house didn't heat up further & my kitchen was easy to clean up!
Tonight, we grilled pizza for the 1st time. I was out of pizza sauce, so I had to make some using the stove. Epic mess inside & outside of the house and my downstairs went from 85 to 88 degrees. At least it tasted great :)
Tomorrow will be dinner out.
BBQ Smoke Etiquette
Years ago, we lived on the 2nd floor of a 3 floor apartment in Brooklyn. Our downstairs neighbors would use their smoker a few times a summer, so we'd just close our windows. Our apartment would still smell like smoked fish for a day or so, but we didn't care at all. The fire department was called by another neighbor thinking the smoke was a fire.... the firemen weren't too upset about the false alarm, thankfully.
Now, I love the smell of grilling & smoking (the cooking kind). I love distinguishing between chicken, beef, & pork on the grill. Makes my mouth water just thinking of it!
Fresh Pond Fish reopening
I shopped this morning. Prices aren't cheap. I did splurge for grey sole at $17.99/ lb. Ouch. MD soft shell crabs are $4.99 each. They have farmed & wild fish, not a huge variety. Lots of people working there. Sorry I don't have more to report regarding prices & offerings. With all the employees looking at me, I didn't want to appear to be scoping it out too much :)
The hot to order items will be ready sometime after July 4th. No beer or wine license unfortunately. I did say it would be great for them to have one.
June 2011 Farmers' Markets, CSAs, Farm Stands Etc.
I picked up my CSA from Drumlin Farm on the 1st. Included were delicate & delicious lettuces, Hakurei turnips, shunkyo radish, easter egg radish, scallions & huge bunches of spinach. The Pick Your Own will start in a few weeks. Greg said there are already strawberries on the vines, they just need to ripen!
At that point in the day (just around noon), they'd had a small hail storm. Next week, I'll find out the extent of damage from the later storms.
Wegman's- looks like it's really happening?
And, totally off topic, Nordstrom Rack!
Back on topic, it will be great to have another good grocery store nearby. Yes, the traffic on the Middlesex TP will worsen. So I plan to just shop during the week.
Places where "casual elegance" reigns supreme
No suggestions for you just yet.... I'm just remembering the Broadway Diner & Oznot's Dish! Brooklyn was lots of fun in the '90's- early aughts.....
What to do with egg yolks?
Homemade egg pasta.... with mostly or all yolks, it will be divine & very rich.
Restaurant near Burlington with vegan or vegetarian options
I haven't been to the one in Burlington, just in Arlington Center. The chefs will certainly make something vegan. Give them a call in advance & let them know your requirements & they will happily help you. They may even offer several things that they've made in the past. And it will be more than a garden salad or steamed veggies :)
APRIL COTM AMFT/Greenspan: Nibbles and hors d'oeuvres; soups; salads, starters, and small plates
So, so beautiful! I love your silver serving dishes :)
*July 2009 COTM* SPICE: Cumin, Coriander, and Cardamom
I made this last night using loin chops & shoulder chops that were 1" thick (what I had in my deep freezer). They only needed 1 hour & 15 minutes to cook in the oven. The pom molasses were really really tart & the lemon juice just made it sing. I thankfully found the molasses in NYC for $2.95 for the 8 oz bottle i/o ordering online for $18, yes $18 including shipping. I think I ate about 3 servings myself last night. Not a drop of leftovers for today. Since it's so easy & quick to prepare, I think I'll make it soon for friends as it sounds like the flavor just improves overnight. And I also think it would be great with a tougher cut as it can braise for a bit. Yum, yum, yum!
Favorite way to use roasted beets?
My favorite way is from Ana Sortun's book Spice. Once the beets are roasted, let them cool enough to peel, then slice. On a platter spread with toasted orange aoili, spread out the sliced beets. Top with sauteed beet greens & toasted pistachios. Drizzle a bit of olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Serve with fresh salad greens. This salad goes with just about everything- from a heavy lamb or pork main dish, to light fish, to grilled hamburgers. Just typing this makes me want to make it for dinner tonight!
March 2011 Cookbook of the Month: THE NAKED CHEF Collection
Let us all know how you liked it. Enjoy!
March 2011 Cookbook of the Month: THE NAKED CHEF Collection
The Naked Chef
North African Lamb with Chili, Ginger, Chickpeas & Couscous
Ok. So I cheated & used 2 cans of chickpeas instead of cooking my own. And I used a 28 oz jar of San Marzano tomatoes instead of cooking 10 fresh plums- since it's March in Boston, I won't be getting good tomatoes for several more months. And I didn't have 4 neck fillets, I had 1 neck & used a bunch of rib that had very little meat on them.
Even with my rampant substitutions, I loved this meal. The flavors were so delicious. And since I used lots of chick peas, it was hearty enough to serve with just a bite of the lamb per plate. Nicely spiced from the Fresno red chilies I used. The eggplant tasted so, so good. My kids weren't quite as interested in eating much of it, but my husband loved it. And it made excellent leftovers that reheated quite well.
I served it with steamed broccoli (boring, I know) and Israeli couscous. I just made it plain, toasting the couscous prior to simmering. Hey, at least I gave my kids some options for dinner :)
Certainly will make this again. Easy enough to make ahead of time & then reheat for company. Makes a nice presentation & is quite colorful on the plate. I got another lamb from the farmer, so I'll plan my dinner party soon!
And dang. Looks like I owe fines to the library for keeping the book out too long....
March 2011 Cookbook of the Month: THE NAKED CHEF Collection
from The Naked Chef- Spiced Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks
Very, very tasty. I only had 2 shanks that were on the small side, so I broiled some chops to serve to my children (their 1st experience with lamb- "Mom, can I have another rib, please?") and to have some extra for my dh & me. I chose this recipe as I had all the ingredients on hand, except anchovy fillets, so I used anchovy paste instead. I made the whole recipe of the sauce for the 2 shanks & extra chops. So glad I did b/c the sauce is yummy! I doubled the carrots b/c I really enjoy them & it didn't make the sauce too carroty. Served over grits made with 1/2 water & 1/2 milk. Yummmmmmmm...... The tomatoes just melted into the sauce & the balsamic & white wine made my whole house smell delicious while it braised. Since the shanks were small, it only needed the 1 1/2 hours to braise, not needing the 1/2 hour at the end with the cover off.
Simple braise with minimal prep time. Delicious flavors. I'll make this again when I get another lamb in my deep freezer.
Ras El Hanout Recipe Ideas
Make your own harissa (way, way better than the jarred stuff). Mix a teaspoon or more with some yogurt & then put that on chicken to grill or broil.
Check out the book Spice, Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean by Ana Sortun. It has lots of great ideas for using the spice.
How do you Okra?
My favorite way is fried. Obviously, that's not a new or unique way, though :) 2nd favorite way is pickled. In fact, my 6 year old loves them pickled!
I've had it on pizza & it's quite good. I don't remember the other combos. When I was in Malaysia, it was served in a yummy vegetariean dish. The pods were whole & since they had been stewed a bit, weren't slimy at all. And they were called lady fingers, a much prettier looking name, IMO.
Cheap, easy, really good dessert to bring to a dinner party -- does it exist?
I always fall back on a really good pound cake. Drizzled with chocolate or lemon glaze, or just plated with fresh berries & a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
Dark and Robust - Russet Chips Are Gone
That's really unfortunate. Cape Cod Robust Russet chips are/ were my favorite guilty pleasure in the summertime.....
