sorry to butt in but why does it look "messed up" and at what stage of the frosting process? as if it curdled?

this is everything i need. thank you.

sorry to steal the thread but which is more versatile to have on hand - sherry or white wine? (even though they're very different)

that's what i'm looking for! thank you.

i found an interesting one for a soy sauce for meat:
garlic, black pepper, paprika, oregano

thanks. how can i combine them though? are there good guides of what pairs together like ginger + lemon + cumin + garlic... ?

is there a general guide of how to combine fresh herbs and spices with certain meats and veggies?

i added freshly grated lemon to a pound cake and then ginger to a vegetable dish and both were incredible. i have other spices but i don't know how to mix them. how else can i use ginger? (cumin, lemon, etc.)

thanks everyone!

i really like the pilaf idea for #2... or maybe a coconut rice? seasame oil would be a great compliment with the snow peas.

awesome idea! do you know the proportions of juice to sugar for a glaze that dries well? thanks.

can i get suggestion for recipes of side dishes for these two recipes:

1) black bean cakes w/avocado crema and no egg http://www.chow.com/recipes/14297?tag...
2) hawaiian chicken (chicken in a soy glaze w/pineapple

for #1 i'd like to have a salad and maybe roasted corn something?
for #2 i was thinking rice. a green veg suggestion would be great. bok choy perhaps? sugar snap peas?

oh that recipe looks great - ww flour and no sugar added. awesome. could i top it off with a crumble of walnuts or something? carrot cakes tend to look dark and unappealing unfrosted in my opinion

i do like a lemon poppy idea too

here's a carrot cake recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Carrot-C...
i'm sure if you read through the reviews you'll find at least 1 person that subbed whole wheat flour in it! :)

what do you bring for dessert in summer when you're going to be traveling for at least 1 hour in the heat?

cupcakes were my top pick but cream cheese frosting can't hold up to the heat.. so i thought about doing a quick bread/cake but the ones i can think of - apple spice, banana, cranberry/nut, etc seems a bit too heavy for this weather.

any suggestions on what to bring to someone's house that feels appropriate for spring/hot weather but can withhold the heat for a bit?

thanks. here's what i did find:

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/shrim...

what exactly is the "lobster sauce" i get with my chinese food take-out? any recipes?

it's probably not authentic chinese cooking but i'd like to get close to replicating the white sauce to serve in a shrimp and broccoli stir fry. i know there isn't lobster or pork and might be comprised of sherry, egg whites, cornstarch, chicken broth, salt.

MANY THANKS to you both!

hi ora, i went to the west african market and found the cut up squashes and bought one but it actually turned out to have a pale yellow skin not like the one i want. after walking up ninth ave from 38th-50th i didn't see any more markets that sold fruit really- just small bodegas. i found one place, la mazzalla or something (?) that had the same squash as the west african market which is this:
http://www.avalon-acres.com/Recipes/u...

could you ask your mom where she buys hers in hell's kitchen please? thanks so much!

great!!! it looks like the one in my pics then? and not the japanese kind? i'm going to look in the areas you said - mid 40s and 9th ave and low 50s this weekend. if you want to post the recipe, please do : ) thanks.

here's a picture of what i'm looking for. it's on the back of the truck on the left:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jose_kevo/2101333053/

and when it's cut open it looks like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/levania/...

very useful chart
thanks to all for the replies

are dishes that call for alcohol in the ingredients (penne alla vodka for example) safe for children under age 10 to eat? this might be an obvious question since i know the alcohol cooks down but i'm just curious.

thanks

what does raw foodgrade cacao butter taste like?

what are good brands for a mandoline? people seem to really like the benriner as it does the job effectively and not too pricey. safety is a major concern of mine with these bc i'm a klutz.

that's a good point. thanks margshep!

a bit out of my price range ; p

am i better off getting a mandoline or something like this for julienne type fries:
http://www.simplygoodstuff.com/swissc...

i want to make fries in curly and shoestring shapes.
i've googled it and can't figure out what would be the closest home appliance to do this.

for curly an apple spiralizer by the japanese manufacturer doesn't seem to get the right thickness (judging from photos).

am i best off getting a mandoline and using the julienne blade for shoestring ones?

where on 9th ave? any specific locations would be great. i'm in midtown.

i've seen the ones in chinatown that are kabocha. the ones i saw in the caribbean are a bit different. they're larger and way more orange on the inside.

where can i find tropical pumpkins (known as ayote, zapallo or calabaza) in nyc? the one i had was from dominican republic. they look like this attached photo.

1. how does the breville compare to oster for ice crushing capability?
2. if oster is better, which model - the beehive or the professional?

i'm making smoothies daily and i need a blender that's great at crushing ice and not going to leave me hearing impaired.

REFERENCE/LINKS:
Breville:
http://www.dealtime.com/xPO-Breville-BBL550XL

Oster:
Professional
http://www.amazon.com/Oster-BPST02-B-Professional-Blender-Black/dp/B000FBLQLG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1235583562&sr=1-1

Beehive
http://www.amazon.com/Oster-4093-Clas...

shoot! i've look at these online and they look amazing!! i wish i could get one used bc it's really expensive.

what blender brand and model has a powerful motor that is excellent at crushing ice?

looking to spend less than $150 and i don't want something super noisy. it will be used to make smoothies daily and nothing else (i'm stocked with kitchen appliances for other functions).