Wanda Fuca's Profile
trapped on deserted island
Having actually been trapped on a deserted island... I would imagine I would enjoy being trapped with Karl. I might nix the meats since fish are plentiful... but I do love good cured meat... hmmm. A man bringing chocolate though...
I might opt for a hen/rooster pack.
trapped on deserted island
If you are trapped on a deserted island... salt surrounds you.
Can I Cook Thnksgvng Turkey in Weber Without Smoking It?
You sure can. It is grilling it. Add smoke chips and all of a sudden you are grilling it.
BUT... will you be gathering those drippings? Will you be utting it on a rotisserie? Fire one side and bird on other side?
You must: Protect from flare ups, consider cutting her in half or quarters, use a rotisserie.
We have smoked one. It rocked, but there was not drippings for gravy, so you have to look to other sources for that.
On a Weber... your work is cut out for you, but what the hay... have you an adventurous crowd unmoved by radical Thanksgiving experiment?
Trader Joes Suggestions Anyone???
Excellent! I will pick up a bottle or so and if it pleases "Chez Fuca" I will purchase a case when I drop the guests back at the airport. Thank you.
Turkey Brining
I am toying with brining my turk this year. It is a frozen bird weighing in at about 18 or so lbs. Can anyone tell me what they have done that has achieved good results. For some reason I am skeptical even though I have known others who have done it.
It is not a butterball... it is not fresh... it is just a frozen bird of modest background. It probably needs help beyond my current cooking powers.
side dish for lamb
I like the spinach idea. It is a natch. I would add red pepper flakes to the oil and maybe save mint for maybe a tabouli... also a fine side to lamb. I like a really simple to prepare couscous. Make it with chix broth and maybe pine nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, onions, herbs and maybe an accompanament of tzatziki. You can do some simple roasted potatoes (par boil them and then cut in bite sizes and mix with EVOO, herbs, S and P, garlic...) and then roast in oven.
I like to marinate that lamb ahead in spice, lemon and oil and then set it on that grill and get it charro.
If you do sinach, do it while the lamb rests.
Mix in feta and some flat bread... you are in there.
Trader Joes Suggestions Anyone???
My lord! I may have to seek out a Whole Foods. There is a market similar to Whole Foods in Poulsbo (WA) on the way home. I may try to find some items on your list there. I am still trying to get over the fact that some TJ's have delis! None of mine do! I mourn.
So far I am definitely going for greek yogurt, santorini dressing, chili lime nuts, both coconut and lemongrass spring rolls, mushroom rav's, tj spinach pie, tarte d'alsace (OMG) and calamari rings. I just read off my list so sorry about misspellings. Luckily I have a cavernous freezer!
I am still in shock over TJ's having a deli! I am beginning to think my loved ones who shop there have been sheltering me. GASP!
You had to mention those Pea Pods????? I had JUST purged then from my memory! I could gorge myself on those crunchy bits of heaven. I have tried the calamari steaks, Curious about the rings...
Trader Joes Suggestions Anyone???
I will do that AND take your suggestions! That is how I discovered pistachio bark. Heaven!
People who grab the bill...
Once the better tipper was discerned, you should have designated bad tipper to pay the tab and good tipper to tip.
Live and learn.
People who grab the bill...
If it were ONLY that easy. You can explain something to someone, but if they are close-minded, nothing will get through. M (my husband) told his dad that our folks worked their butts off and that even though he insisted 10% was fair, that since his meal was comp'ed and this was his son's place he would be tipping 20%.
An aside... that group was horrifying to our staff. Picky, demanding and self entitled. An extra bottle of wine was always popped at the end of the eve and we always topped tips for servers saddled with out of town family. An unenviable task to wait on those that think they are king.
Flour Weights for Bread
Thank you to everyone answering... esp. JoanN, Huruta and Phofiend. I will be baking probably at LEAST 100 loaves of bread during the holidays and am so sick of wondering if my bread is right or taking its temp. or wondering if a new recie is supposed to be that sticky... THANK YOU! Phofiend, interesting info on the cake flour. Thank you.
To Kagey, thank you for the hints, esp. the oiling of my blade. Sometimes the obvious eludes me. What a brilliant idea.
I should not be so thrilled... yet I am!! Thank you again!
Trader Joes Suggestions Anyone???
I will be taking a trip into the city a couple times this month picking up the relations from the airport. That means a major shopping spree at Trader Joe's. Anyone have any suggestions on what to buy there? I always pick up the same goodies so I would love suggestions of favorite finds from fellow Chowhounds. I am uo for anything and will be bringing a mammoth cooler!!! Food,wine, household goods... anything!
Thanks ahead!
Elegant hors d'oeuvres for cocktail party?
Well, you want them crunchy, but not "break in big pieces and the filling comes tumbling out crunchy". I prebake them the day or so before, stuff them (cooled) into a zip lock and then before serving I put them on a bake sheet in the oven at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes.
Not impressed with restaurants
I suffer from similar problems. You have to keep your trap shut, smile when you feel like complaining and focus on the real reason you are going out... to enjoy friends company, to get a night away from whiny children, to get gussied up and have some down time, to not have to do the dishes. You have to absolutely NOT keep a mental running list of the improperly cooked steak, the server that seems blind to your tables obvious needs... or you are bound to make yourself and every other person you are with MISERABLE! At least you recognize it. I know PLENTY who do not and have seen plenty of sour faces in restaurants who seem bound and determined to be miserable.
Flour Weights for Bread
Actually what I am looking for is an EXACT gram weight. The reason why is it takes away the measuring by the cup problem like compaction or variances due to large measurements. It is particularly important to bread making. I have heard it talked about over and over yet I cannot find the numbers anywhere. Like bakeries - they do not do cup measures. All flour is weighed.
BUT - thank you to those who have responded so far esp. Unconundrum. I did have a look at those sites and saved it on my computer because there were some measures I was actually wondering about. Thank you for that.
Elegant hors d'oeuvres for cocktail party?
Easy to pick up and easy to make and can be done ahead:
- Medjool dates stuffed with gorgonzola/cream cheese mixture possibly wrapped in a strip of prosciutto and/or with an almond tucked into the cheese.
- Endive leaves (available ready to go at costco) with some sort of seafood mix piped on possibly topped with a little caviar.
- crostini... maybe chicken liver mouse and onion sliced atop, gravlax, tomato confit with garlic
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Mini wonton cups (made in mini muffin tins) stuffed with... well, whatever can be made into an asian feel but fills in the gaps in the appetizer void
A good idea!!!!!!
Dear Chowhound Lords,
Wouldn't it be fun to be able to post pictures on your site? Recently I got a recipe from a fellow chowhounder who requested I report back on what I thought about the recipe... well, I loved the recipe so much that I made it two days in a row and had a little party the second night involving (German dumplings). A pic of them would have been fun. Now I am ramping up to do a Marco Polo party that someone suggested as a theme party. Pictures seem natural. I would be thrilled if someone posted a pic of say... a beautiful recipe I suggested. Part of the joy of chowing is to see others enjoy it.
So how's about it?
- Wanda
Not impressed with restaurants
If you live in a small town it is pretty hard to find restaurant food to swoon over. At least that is true in my town. Around town we go out so we can just sit down outside the house and have a nice casual meal out on the town with nobody having to get in the kitchen and clean up afterwards. I find my friends who eat out a lot seem to get all excited about restaurants that I find sort of blah and dreary. That sort of saddens me because they always want to go to one in particular that galls me to spend money there. When I want something delectable and in a lovely atmosphere I am FORCED to take a ferry or a long weekend in Seattle. If a good restaurant opened near home I would be giddy as a schoolgirl!
For now, I am more about getting good service. I will, apparently, put up with the most mediocre food so I (or my husband) do not have to face down the kitchen mess).
OK that was just whining and venting. I am sorry for that, but not sorry enough to erase it.
Theme Dinner Party Ideas?
You know what? That DOES sound like fun. I have a group of friends that enjoy doing themed dinners, 2 of which just got done with a Chinese cookery class and that sounds like a PERFECT idea. Although I was not the original poster... thank you for a fab idea for a fun night with friends and food.
Flour Weights for Bread
Any of you smart folks out there know the cup weight equivalent for flour when bread making? While I am at it... anyone have any brilliant tools for slashing bread. I have tried pen razors, strait edges and serrated knives. I am not thrilled with the result of any of of them.
A Traditional New England "California" Thanksgiving - Menu Idears... ;)
The love of Durgin Park food MUST be a New England thing. People ket on pestering me to eat there when I was up for business. I finally gave in. The food reminded me of the stuff they serve my grannie in the old folks home. The bright side, or maybe odd thing about the place, is that people were telling me that the serving staff was gruff and rude. I found them to be ever so attentive, perfectly friendly and the highlight of the visit.
What is the draw????
Strictly local cooking
Why not just try to buy locally and skip the rigidity. It sounds like an exercise in frustration without much payoff. Poster "Sebby" mentioned CSA's. They are great if you can find one. Some farms will let you work for part of your food or you can team up with another like minded person if you think a share might be too large an amount for your family. I did this for a couple years while I was figuring out the seasons and what grows here. The CSA will give you a general list of what fruits and veggies will be available when so you can plan some.
If you have the room, you could grow your own. Ultimate in close! Hook up with others and trade heirloom seeds, have neighbors grow different things than you and trade goodies... That is what we do in our neighborhood. The rest goes to the homeless shelter. Its great!
People who grab the bill...
They are not the WORST! You have not met MY Father-In-Law. He is your in-law, plus, he used to bring all of his wife's family to our restaurant, get his bill comped by us and leave NO TIP because ... "there was no money paid and 10% before tax on nothing is nothing."
I caught the tip the first time when our poor server was in tears, but you can bet your little booty after that conversation of 10% of nothing... that my husband gave him the bill and wrote at the bottom what he would be expecting pops to lay out for whoever had the misfortune of dealing with him and his.
And... I am with the "I'll get the tip" crowd. If they balk, tell them they are so overly generous and your getting the tip is the very least you could do. Oy.
Mashed Potatoes--Making them ahead of time.
You can make Mashers the day before no problem. Use Russets (the brown ones) or Yukons. Try not to stab too many times while they are boiling. Use milk or buttermilk and lots of butter, salt and pepper. If you add too much liquid you can do a quick fix with instant mashed potatoes (add them and reheat).
Store the mashed potatoes in tupperware or a ziplock bag (so you can stack them or squeeze them into the odd fridge space) and then when your turkey is out resting, plunk those potatoes in a pot and heat them up (you can let them come up to them by putting them out on the cabinet for a bit before heating). Adjust the consistency and seasoning if needed).
Keep the taters simple. Why dicker with perfection? People rarely appreciate novel potatoes on Thanksgiving.
A Traditional New England "California" Thanksgiving - Menu Idears... ;)
You could do Mac and Cheese with VERMONT Cheddar... BOSTON Style Baked Beans... Tossed salad with MAPLE vinegarette.
What are your favorite spices
Yeah, Saffron... Whenever something is missing, it usually is saffron.
HELP! First Thanksgiving
How fun! I like the cornbread stuffing above. If you are not down with corn bread you can sub bread. Cube the bread, sauce it up with some garlic butter and toss it in the oven turning occasionally to brown it up. THEN continue with the recipe.
OK a few things:
1) write back if you need timing/temperature help once you get your sides menu set.
2)You can make mashed potatoes early (like even two days ahead if you are pressed for time. If you are low on bowls stuff the potatoes into a zip lock (but not full) and you can stack them in the fridge.
Don't stuff that turkey until just before you are gonna put it in the oven and do not pack it too tight. The bird will take longer to cook stuffed. Let the bird sit out for a while before putting it into the oven. Ditto the stuffing.
Easy Sweet potatoes that are amazingly yummy:
WHIPPED SWEET POTATOES SOUFFLE
For sweet potatoes
22 ounces red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams; about 2 large), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (Or canned yams/sweet potatoes of approximate same weight)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of salt
For topping
1 1/2 cups cornflakes, crushed
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Make sweet potatoes:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook sweet potatoes in large pot of boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; transfer potatoes to large bowl and add butter. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add egg, sugar, spice and salt; beat to blend. Transfer mixture to 8 x 8-inch baking dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.) Bake potatoes until beginning to brown around edges and slightly puffed, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare topping:
Mix together all ingredients in medium bowl.
Spoon topping evenly over potatoes. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes longer.
You can double it, triple it... and use canned yams or sweet potatoes.
And if you are feeling fancy:
Incomparable Creamed Corn
1⁄2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
2 pinches kosher salt
8 ears fresh corn
1 sprig fresh rosemary, bruised
1 tablespoon sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh ground black pepper
In a saucepan over medium heat, sweat the onion in butter and salt until translucent.
In a large mixing bowl, place a paper bowl in the middle of the bowl. Resting the cob on the bowl in a vertical position remove only the tops of the kernel with a knife, using long smooth downward strokes and rotating the cob as you go. After the cob has been stripped, use the dull backside of your knife to scrape any remaining pulp and milk off the cob.
Add the corn and pulp mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium high until the juice from the corn has tightened. Add the rosemary. Sprinkle the corn with the sugar and turmeric. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the cornmeal onto the corn, using a whisk to combine well. Add the heavy cream and cook until the corn has softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the rosemary. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
You want to vary the colors/textures/savory/sweet so like... WHITE Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, YELLOW Creamed Corn, BROWN stuffing, Red Cranberry Sauce.
Make sure you have enough plates and silver. If you don't get them to bring their own or get with another orphan who has that stuff.
Have fun! Don't drink too much while you are cooking. I speak from experience. Things go haywire.
